


Beyond the Wide Sea

by Ilthit



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/F, Wordcount: 500-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 09:24:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20758091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilthit/pseuds/Ilthit
Summary: In an alternate timeline, Tuuri still escapes.





	Beyond the Wide Sea

"That's an interesting looking package you've got there. Would you mind sharing what's inside?"

"Ensi," said Hilja, and the crankiness in her voice was all her, a tone Ensi had known for decades. "Look me in the eyes." 

Lalli tugged at Ensi's sleeve and she looked away. 

"It's just a package, okay?"

Ensi looked into Lalli's eyes instead, pale and elfin like her own, and gritted her teeth. "Well then," she said in a measured voice, "you won't mind showing me, will you?" 

She heard Hilja's curse, and her feet striking the ground as she broke into a run, and she knew. 

\- 

Tuuri sighed. "They never take me with them." She rested on her elbows on the porch, kicking her legs and watching the boat slip out of their gate. Grandma and Lalli wouldn't be back for weeks, and by then the rest of the family would be busy with the harvest. Every year was the same, in and out, with no change, no variation, and no new faces. New babies--that was about it. And they took so long to grow up! 

"Be happy," grunted Onni, who was whittling away at a piece of wood on the porch swing. He should be studying his magic, or then doing something useful like refilling the firewood stash, and he knew it. "It's awful out there."

"It's not that awful. My pen pal in Sweden says they have modern comforts over there, trains and clocks, and all different festivals, and cake like you've never seen before." 

"We're not sending you to Sweden."

"How about Nor--"

"Tuuri. Stop it. We are staying here, where all our family has lived for generations. Why would you even want to go anywhere else?"

Tuuri sighed and rested her cheek on her hand. Someday, she would go, whatever he said, and she would have a great time out there, just to spite him. 

-

"You're not immune?" The nurse--Hildur--frowned at Tuuri over the admissions slip. "How did you even get on this ship?" 

"Well, that's a funny story..."

"You're an idiot," said Hildur several minutes later, "and now I understand why you smell like fish."

"Ugh, still?" Tuuri wrinkled her nose. Hildur pointed with a smug little smile. Tuuri sighed, picked up one of the regulation towels and headed back into the showers. Stowing away had sounded so glamorous and exciting, but now it seemed she was just headed straight back into lock-up. 

-

The sunrise over the sea-horizon never stopped to amaze her, even though Hildur had taken to following her out to the railing every morning to pull her back every time she tried to hang over for a better view. "You're as bad as Onni!" she complained as the ship turned in its ponderous way, blocking out the smoldering orange ball of the sun. 

"I should meet this brother of yours," said Hildur. "I think I'd like him."

"Well," said Tuuri with a huff, "I _suppose_ there are more neat things to see on the boat still."

"Yep. Like the kitchens. Have you ever seen a really big ship's galley?" 

"Ooh, no, I haven't!"

"Well, you will. I've got you a job."

"...I hate you, Hildur Árnadóttir, and I will one day murder you in your sleep."

"Get in line."

-

Hildur poked her head into the galley at lunchtime. Tuuri wiped the steam out of her eyes and pushed back the scarf covering her face. "Not that there is a line by my bed."

"What?" 

"There is no line, I'm just saying. You'd be the first."

"I'd be _what_?"

"Got to go." Hildur disappeared with her regulation lunch. 

Tuuri stood squinting after her until Ulla slapped another pile of dirty dishes in her hands. Had she just been hit on by the cutest nurse on the ship? 

_Her?_

\- 

"Hmh. Now you smell like meatballs." 

"Shut up. You're the one that got me that job."

"Am I complaining? I could eat you up."

"You really are the _worst_ at pick-up lines."

"You mean it's not working?"

"...I didn't say that." 

-

That one journey turned into another, until at last they unloaded in Iceland, and somehow Tuuri ended up with a pair of shears in her hands and a sheep under her arm. It was just like at home, except different--the shears had been marked with symbols like on the inside of Hildur's civilian cloak, the prattle all around was in Icelandic, and of course just outside the shed the hills rolled out in waves towards enormous peaks. But Tuuri knew sheep.

Hildur's parents were duly impressed. They even started dropping hints about what a lovely couple the two of them made and how their neighbour's son's wife kept the home fires burning while her husband was out minding the border defenses, truly an ideal daughter-in-law, but not half as good a shearer as Tuuri was. Both of them looked just a little bit crest-fallen when she announced she'd be going with Hildur on her next commission.

But it was to Norway! They had sailed past those ridged mountains, but she had never got to so much as put her foot down on that soil. How could she miss out on that now? 

"You don't miss home yet?" asked Hildur as they walked up the hill to where the post-carriage would stop, somewhere in the next hour or so--it was never exactly on time. 

"Oh, I'll go there eventually," Tuuri said. "For a visit."

"Just for a visit?" Hildur grinned. "Sure they won't kidnap you and tie you down so you'll stay forever? You make it sound like your brother would sit on you before he'll let you put another foot out the home gate."

"Well, he's too late." Tuuri slipped her hand into Hildur's and squeezed. "You got there first."

The grin lit up her face. Lit up the sky. "You're so cheesy."

Tuuri stood up on her tiptoes and got a kiss for her trouble.


End file.
